The Spirit of the Ring
by PIDAY2000
Summary: Before Solomon died, he sent Uraziel to hide the Ring where no one would find it. In the times of London, the ring is uncovered. Its powers unknown, it's kept hidden, until the Spirit escapes. Post Ptolemy's Gate.
1. Prologue

Prologue

The full moon sparkled over the night skies of Jerusalem. Spirits of every kind conceivable flew to and fro, hurrying to deliver messages or carry out charges. Inside the palace's royal apartments, in an insignificant whitewashed room lay King Solomon.

It had been ten years since the palace had been destroyed; more than enough time to restore it to its original splendor.

As he had promised Asmira of Sheba, Solomon had indeed awoken from his slumber. He had used the Ring almost daily, but the effort for this had taken its toll on him. Never being a magician of great strength, the ring had left him weakened.

He picked up the ring from its silver platter and placed it on his finger. He turned it one last time.

"Uraziel."

"Yes, Master," the spirit's usually toneless voice had a detached sort of worry to it."

"I feel I am about to die. There is nothing we can do about it. But first, I must protect the court magicians from the Ring. The seventeen grow restless. They crave the power the Ring will provide." His voice, once velvety and smooth had become cracked, rough as sandpaper. "As your last charge, I order you to take the Ring far away, to the other side of the Great Sea, and hide it. Hide it so that no one, man or spirit, may see it or detect its presence."

"It is done," said the Spirit. The Ring disappeared with a faint pop, leaving Solomon dead on his bed; exhausted from his last use of the Ring.

Thousands of years later, in an unpopulated area of present-day France, a lone djinni overflew the forest. He was wearing the guise of a peregrine falcon, chosen both for its speed and for the fact that it would blend in were anyone to pass by. Not that anyone was here.

He was on his way to the ruins of a long-forgotten Roman town, where he was to find a magical artifact for his master. As he overflew a particularly leafy bit of woods, he did a customary check of planes. Nothing. Except… On the seventh, there was a dull glow coming from the treetops. This was strange. It didn't look like anything had ever been built here. The falcon dove through the trees, miraculously avoiding all the branches and leaves. He pulled up meters above the ground.

The falcon turned into a brown mole, which started digging for the magical artifact. As he dug deeper, the glow brightened, until it reached a point when it was blinding to switch to the higher planes. The mole came upon a ring. The thing itself was nothing much, really. A simple band of gold with a gem of sorts incrusted on the top. But it must be a very powerful artifact to glow like that. The mole picked it up between its paws. It burned! The mole felt as if his essence were being torn in two. But he would take it to his master nonetheless. With an artifact of this power, he was bound to get his freedom. The mole dug back up to the surface, dragging the ring behind him. He turned into the falcon again and prepared for the long flight back to London.


	2. Chapter 1: Uraziel

**Chapter 1  
****Uraziel**

**A/N: OK, first chapter. Still sort of short. I'm getting better at the whole publish thing, though. It doesn't take five minutes to figure everything out. Hope you like it. Please review. **

All alone in the dark cramped space. Of course, I wasn't actually_ in_ the space, but my essence was bound to the object. There I had been, since the dawn of time. I was one of the first entities summoned. Summoned before even the humans settled down. But when they did, they tried to get rid of me. Their magicians weren't as powerful as the very first. They couldn't withstand the immense power of the Ring, but couldn't set me free either. I did not mind. I am a great spirit of the Other Place. Time means nothing to me. I shall still be around when the Sun goes out and the last of the humans disappear. But I did get lonely.

Then Solomon appeared. By then I was eager to have someone to talk to. Even if he _was_ human. I guess that's why I grew a bit fond of him. But that's over now. When he was on the verge of death, he sent me to hide the Ring. He condemned me to further years of darkness. Of loneliness. It was better than doing the will of another of his magicians. But not by much.

Time later, I do not know if mere decades or millennium went by, I was uncovered. I sensed him to be a djinni of lesser power. I was taken to a city unknown to me. It was nothing like the cities that I had seen when I was last at large in the world. Of course, I couldn't see anything, but I sensed the auras of nearby things and people. There were objects with an aura black as smoke. They were poison to spirits. What had the humans been up to during this time?

I was taken to a building. Bigger than most of the freemen's houses back in Jerusalem, but smaller than the great palace. There was a meeting of great importance about the Ring. Seven people, presumably magicians, whose auras were tainted with the stench of corruption met in one of the rooms of the big building. They thought the Ring was cursed (which, in a certain way is true), that it had no real power of its own (obviously not true). They punished the poor spirit who brought me here harshly. I felt like bringing him back to the Other Place. But I could do no such thing without a magician's order.

They decided to put me in a secret vault underground. In this sense, they were like the magicians of old. What they didn't understand, they threw away. But, as I did not know yet, this action brought my salvation. I was trapped once again. For the third time since I was first summoned.

A short time later, maybe four or five years, there was a great vibration of the planes. One that could only be caused by a powerful entity from the depths of the Other Place. I suspected it to be Ramuthra, or Aella to a lesser extent. Both were very powerful and could warp physical objects by their mere presence. At any rate, he was in the room right above the secret vault. It momentarily warped the Ring, changed its structure, leaving me enough room for me to maneuver. I escaped the Ring, returning, finally to the Other Place. Immediately I felt what I had been missing out on. I lost myself, finally being able to be like everyone else. Not bound to the circumstance anymore.


	3. Chapter 2: Uraziel

**Chapter 2  
Uraziel**

I felt the tugging in my essence. This was not fair. It had barely been ten years since I had escaped the Ring. Not enough time to replenish my energies from my last stay on Earth. How had magicians even gotten my name? Surely all records of me had been destroyed by now. The only other time I had actually been summoned was millennia ago, when locked me up in the Ring. By all rights, I should have been recorded dead.

I shot through the gate, ripped from my place of healing. I appeared in a pentacle, a particularly large one, based on what I had seen in Jerusalem. What now? I had no experience transforming, changing guise. What form should I take? My old friend Solomon came to mind. I discarded the idea. He had betrayed me. He might have done it out of ignorance, he might have not known better, but he still prolonged my stay on Earth for more time than I could count. I flipped through the other guises I had seen spirits take. None were particularly inventive or awe-inducing. They didn't give my power justice. Because of Solomon's edicts, everyone took the shape of humans. Whoever had summoned me would think that I'm not up to the task. On the other hand…

I took the shape of a typical human slave of that time; dark of skin with cropped hair the colour of coal. I sat down and waited for the magician to finish his summoning. I was in some sort of empty storehouse. It was of rectangular shape and had grey walls and a very high ceiling. It had only one light source, at the other end of the building. It was very different from what I was used to. Once again, I wondered how much time I had been buried underground. It did not look like a candle, for its light didn't flicker in the faint breeze coming from the high windows. Perhaps it was magical and contained spirits that made it light.

In front of me were ten circles with a magician in each. One was doing the actual summoning; the others were lending their strength to restrain me. The foremost magician, the one who was droning on was, by name at least, my master. He stopped speaking and stared me down. His face was hidden by the shadows, so I couldn't make out any features. If he was in any way disappointed with my guise, he didn't show it.

I looked around at the others in the pentacles. They were, also hidden by the shadows caused by the magical light. Then I took my eyes off the magicians and noticed something about the pentacles themselves. All save for one had a missing rune. Obviously, the one in the remaining circle had set the rest of them up. Well, that wasn't stopping me. Something told me this was going to be a long stay; I'd better save up my strengths. I leaped out of my circle and devoured the magicians, one by one. Unfortunately, the one that had been saying the summons was the one with the safe pentacle, so I couldn't touch him. I was stuck on Earth. Oh, well, he'd make a mistake soon enough now that he didn't have others strength backing him up.

He was still looking at me, unimpressed. I slowly returned to my pentacle. All that magician-eating had made me full. He'd better not send me to do any running about.

"Demon, are you the great Uraziel, once the inhabitant of the Ring of Solomon." Inwardly I rolled my eyes. Of course I was. Hadn't he used my name to summon me? But I couldn't show any unprofessional actions in front of the magician. That was one of the reasons I took to liking Solomon. He was brief and to the point. He didn't entertain in useless talking.

"Yes, human. What is your wish?" Even though I couldn't see him, I could tell his eyes had a greedy glint in them.

* * *

Ten minutes later, I flew out of the grey building in the guise of a pigeon. I had a lot of work in front of me; I'd better get started. Magicians don't seem to understand a spirit's need to rest after he has a banquet like that.


	4. Chapter 3: Kitty

**Chapter 3**

**Kitty**

_A week ago, nine magicians in minor government positions were reported missing, probably dead. Since, the CPA (commoner police association), who is working on the case, has made a major breakthrough. On the same night the magicians disappeared, an old storehouse for exported products was found burned. Close examination reveals that there are strong magic residues that must have been left by more powerful a demon than ever seen by English magicians. On the floor of the storehouse, there are traces of chalks that form eleven summoning circles. Magician spokesperson from the CPA reports these to be used to bring demons from the dimension where they reside. One is needed for the demon itself, and the others are for the magicians bringing him here. It is assumed that the remaining circle belongs to a traitor magician, who set up the others to make an illegitimate summoning and then had them killed. This means that we have a rogue magician, probably planning revolt. Any leads on the identity of the missing magicians are welcome..._

The doorbell ringed. Kitty tossed aside the morning newspaper. She was disgusted. After only five years of peace and stability, some magician had to think up of another crackpot scheme to topple it all. Maybe the commoners had been right to suggest to get rid of magic. But the empire had lost enough land as it was. They needed protection. And anyway, their only chance had passed. They should have done it when all the important magicians were possessed and London was in chaos. Back then, everyone would have obeyed and burned all the demonology books. But the shock had passed. Magicians weren't scared of their own power any more.

Kitty stomped down the rickety stairwell of her new home. She hadn't been keeping up with her rental while she was away, so she asked Mr Button, who had moved closer to Whitwell, to lend her his house until she could find alternative arrangements. She walked down the hall that led to the front door. The place was still littered with books; on the shelves and on the floor, in tottering piles that threatened to collapse with even the faintest of breezes. She opened the door. Ms Piper was standing in the doorway, smiling sheepishly.

"A little birdie told me you were back from Jerusalem," she said, still smiling.

"Mr Button, I imagine. I didn't know you two were that close. How's running the council going?" responded Kitty, unable to hide her grin.

"Commoners will be commoners; we can't do anything about them. They keep making outrageous demands. You know it's not too late to help us. And anyways, I'm glad you're back, but there's another reason for my visit." She opened a leather bag she had been carrying and took out that morning's newspaper. "Someone's done an illegal summoning. You know what this could mean. Even worst is the fact that they found eleven pentacles. A conspiracy like this would usually be kept very quiet. They would only use the absolute minimum of magicians. This is a very powerful demon we're dealing with."

"Don't call them demons. They don't like it," said Kitty. She couldn't help it.

"Yes, well, anyways, we have a very limited amount of able magicians, and since you're back… Would you mind giving a hand? We need as many demons summoned-"

"Spirits," interrupted Kitty.

"Fine. Spirits. This is very important, could you stop interrupting!" she looked at her with a small smile. "Look, I know you respect the de—I mean spirits, but we need their help unless we want to find ourselves in the middle of another magician and _spirit_ revolt."

Kitty took a deep breath. "If you really need it, I'll help."

"Good. We need a de—I mean _spirit_ who is trustworthy. I hope you have some experience choosing de— _spirits_. Tell it—I mean him to meet up with the other spirits we summon and to search London for any unusual demon activity. Understood?" Kitty nodded. "See you soon then." Ms Piper left in a hurry, giving Kitty a small wave.

Kitty closed the door. She went to the library and sat down in Mr. Button's favorite armchair. She was sure that in all these books there would be plenty of spirits that could help her purpose, but she didn't have time to search through them. And anyway, it wouldn't be fair for the spirit. The only one she knew from firsthand experience had probably died in the fire of crystal fire. Bartimaeus. But, what if… A fire had lit in Kitty's mind. It would not go out. Nathaniel had been developing a conscience at the time he—he died. It would be just like him… Just like Ptolemy had done…Bartimaeus would be the only one that would understand. Yes. It had to be true. He had to be alive.

Kitty got up from the old armchair. She looked through the shelves for the book she was looking for. She had to get her incantations straight before she did it. She also had to go down to the market to buy chalk. There would probably be candles and herbs stored upstairs. There were so many things to do and so little time…

**So, another chapter. Sorry I haven't been updating lately. I wasn't sure I could do Kitty or Ms Piper right, so I just let it rest there for a while. Please review and tell me if you liked it. I hope I can update more from now on. I'm planning on doing Bart next. **


	5. Chapter 4: Bartimaeus

**Chapter 4**

**Bartimaeus**

**OK, here's another chapter. I think this is the longest thing I have ever written here, so enjoy it. It's not going to happen again any time soon. RE: MaiWishe's comment: I hadn't thought of that. I thought that to bring a spirit to Earth, you need a pentacle, but you have a point about the spices. I took that part out. Enjoy :) **

I let myself be absorbed into the endless swirl of the Other Place. I should count myself lucky that Nathaniel decided to pull off another Ptolemy… Ptolemy, that was the center of the issue. In the short space of five hours, two people had relived his memory. They put trust in me. The first to do so in two thousand years. Two thousand, one hundred and twenty nine years, to be exact.

No, I had to stop thinking about him. About them. I had had a long and successful career by letting go of the past and concentrating on whatever was attacking me at the moment.

I let myself go, let myself blend into the Other Place. I was in a strange mood, I realized. On the bright side, no one knew I survived the crystal palace incident. Finally I'd get some rest.

* * *

The multicolored flecks swirled, up and down, dancing, intertwining in an endless loop. Suddenly, everything froze. I found myself shooting backwards, through the elemental walls and back again to the human world. I cursed silently. Who could it be? Last time I checked, the British Empire had been crumbling, falling into chaos (1). And it was a strong summons too. Made by someone experienced. No second-rater from a falling empire could have summoned me. Except… I made the connection. Yes, it would be just like her to realize I had survived. Well, if it were who I thought it was, most of my guises would be useless, offensive to her delicate eyes. I rolled my eyes (2). Some people just don't get the art of choosing a form.

_(1) More chaos than usual. The human world is just one big jumble of a mess; the humans are just too stupid to see it for themselves._  
_(2) Metaphorically, of course. I didn't have a solid form at the time._

I materialized in the center of a pentacle and settled down in Ptolemy's form, careful with the boundaries of the pentacles. I didn't want to embarrass myself like last time…

"Kitty Jones," I said, a smug grin creeping up my face. I really was glad to see her, even though I'd never admit it to her. She wore her hair short and cropped. She had died it, even though the silvery gray was starting to peek at the roots. Her face, though heavily lined, looked better than expected. Her eyes, like two emeralds, shone bright and defiant, showing still the strength of her resistance days. She stood at the center of her own, smaller pentacle, hip cocked, hand on hip.

"What do you want, Kitty?" I said softly but somewhat impatiently. "I'm going to need at least fifty more years of rest to recover from the trauma of meeting you and Nathaniel." Her lips tensed. I smiled more widely and cheerfully, "What, still a sore subject? At least four years should have passed since he, well, died."

"Five,"

"Anyways. To what do I have the honors of being so rudely ripped from my place of rest," I continued accusingly. If my words in any way affected her, she didn't let it show.

"I-I need your help," she stammered.

"My help?" I furrowed my eyebrows, bemused. Last time Kitty had asked for my 'help' I had been forced to squeeze my essence into—no, only thinking about it makes me feel sick. Then I paraded around London in the _thing_, risking my life in a dozen ways and coming so close to death that I could feel its breath.

"Yes, your help." And just like that she stepped out of her pentacle and walked to a dusty queen bed and picked up a newspaper that had been lying on it. I bent my legs, tensing for the spring. Then I realized who it was in the other pentacle. I couldn't devour Kitty, what had I been thinking? Kitty noticed. She gave me a pointed look, smirking slightly.

"Old habits die hard," I excused myself with a shrug.

I walked out of my own pentacle and followed her to the dusty old bed. She gave me the newspaper for me to read. I scanned through the page, barely moving my eyes, and looked up at her. " So? What's wrong with that?"

"Someone is trying to take over the government again. I need your help to track down the magician and its spirit." She looked indignant at my indifference.

"I'm sorry, Kitty," I said softly. "I need more time to recover from my last stay on Earth and I'm not willing to put my essence on the line for any human, not even you."

"Look at me. I followed you into the Other Place to gain your trust. Please—"

"This isn't about trust, Kitty, I just can't do it." A small part of me knew I was being unreasonable, but I just couldn't get back to word now. I had too much to think about. And now that I had a choice…

"But Ptolemy…" Ah, she was playing the Ptolemy card again. I wouldn't let it get to me. As much as I liked the girl and as similar as she was to Ptolemy, he would have given me a choice in matters like this.

"Ptolemy wasn't a man of politics. He wouldn't have asked this of me either."

"But this isn't about politics! There is more at stake than the council which I am not a part of," she said pointedly. "This could also affect commoners and oh-so-noble djinn such as yourself!"

"Fine. Assuming that I did decide to help you—which I am not saying I am—what would you be asking me to do?"

A dazzling smile lit her face. "I would ask you to patrol the streets of London, looking for unusual activity such as caused by the immensely powerful entity mentioned in the paper." She was getting good at this legal-talk thing. Kitty was becoming more and more like the manipulative magicians in the government.

"Oh goodie. Patrol duty," I said in a monotone. "Fine," I resigned. "I'll do it on one condition. I want to be released _for ever_ the second this spirit is found and the conspiracy is stopped."

Doubt assaulted her face, even though she tried to hide it. "Very well," she said at last.

"Dandy," I shot out of the window and into the sun, taking the shape of a stoic pigeon as I did so.


End file.
